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muu-kun · 11 months

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More Random/Useless Muse Facts

Did they believe in Santa?: Muu still does. I'm seriously not joking either. Being that he still wholeheartedly believes in fairies, he has found himself continuing to entertain the possibility that Santa, the Tooth Fairy, and the Easter Bunny also exist even if in universes excluding his own.

Were they a dinosaur or rock kid?: Neither really. He enjoyed dinosaur based medias better than those centered on geology, yes, however, he was so completely entralled with everything as a child that his honed in interests were usually more niche than either of the two. If anything, he was more of an alien and monsters kind of kid.

Bugs or slimy critters?: Absolutely both of them. Bugs and frogs are most certainly loved by him dearly.

Do they fidget? How?: The only fidget Muu does with the most consistency his is imaginary tail wag. One would imagine he'd have far more on behalf of him being autistic; however, he's never really been one to stim. He always worried about being as seen as weird if he did so, leading him to disconnect himself with that part of his disability. He's definitely far more guilty of presenting a nervous stammer than an anxious fidget.

What were they frequently in trouble for as a child?: Unwillingness to share, which usually came out in the form of biting or hitting other children that tried to play with his toys (his brother included). Other instances included messing with things that were not his, which one would imagine he did not get the hypocrisy of his complaints whenever he was in fact chastised for this behavior.

What underwear do they like?: I've talked about it on this blog already, but I have no qualms about mentioning it once more to those who may be unaware if this tidbit. Muu actually wears strictly women's underwear. And not for any particularly dirty reason either, so keep those minds out of the gutter. Instead, he just likes to on behalf of the closest and safest people in his life to him are women. In his mind, to dress like them is to maybe even embody them in a manner where he might even be able to offer himself a similar feeling of comfort in his own company. Of the styles available, the one he would perhaps sport the most is the traditional brief. Complete coverage along his anatomy, but not high enough that the fabric could be spotted above his pants. And seamless is a must for completely wearability no matter what he is adorned in that day.

Designs on clothing or no?: Impartial. It really comes down to each individual piece. Usually he's a fan of one plain article of clothing going alongside something containing a design. Not usually design on design unless he's really trying to make a statement. Not usually is it plain on top of plain. He'd rather be more adventurous than that.

Birthmarks?: None. Know that this is subject to change. In the many years I've had him as a muse, I've been very indecisive over what and where I'd like his birthmark to be. When I know, I'll for sure share it with everyone.

Do they have good self control?: Not really. One being that he is easily persuaded by those around him to comply to their standards in exchange for friendship. He also is emotionally impulsive just as often as he is overly self aware, so really all is fair game.

Favorite franchise?: Lilo and Stitch, the Curious George films, Moshi monsters most definitely, and Marvel. Spiderman and Guardians of the Galaxy are at the top of the list regarding the final option.

Do they re-enact scenarios in the shower?: Always. He also tends to age regress in the shower in the hopes his true inner child will have input on the situations at play that he hadn't considered prior.

Do they tell the waiter that their order is wrong?: Yes, but he promises he always does so in a kind manner. He's vegan for the sake of refusing to contribute to the harm of animals, so of course he will not ignore that moral for the sake of keeping peace. He also never deducts from a tip a percentage for every incorrect aspect of a meal. Logically does he understand that a cook made his food, so really why take it out on the staff caught in the middle that is simply just doing their job.

Stairs or elevator?: Stairs. Elevators somewhat freak him out. Plus, he can get places faster on foot than risking getting caught in an elevator with multiple needing multiple destinations at one time.

Are they an exaggerator when telling stories?: Not intentionally. Muu simply feels all feelings at an exaggerated rate compared to everyone else. What may seem entirely sound to him is dramatic to someone else.

tagged by: @tximidity

tagging: me sleepy so I won't be tagging anyone. Just steal it from me, friends!!

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sporthub · 4 years

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ImageSource: STMicroelectronics Dersign for Wearable Sensors STEVAL-WESU1

Show me Your Body Area Network

ST held its Developers Conference on October 4 in Santa Clara, California. In anticipation of this event, we published a series of blog posts to preview some of the sessions’ topics and introduce the engineers, managers or experts that made this day special.

Sensors are moving from external devices to the body. We’ve gone from the Six Million Dollar Man to the common folk with a smart watch, fitness tracker, smart wristband, GPS on his wrist, barometer in his pocket, heart monitor on his sleeve, and this is only the beginning. Researchers are working on a continuous blood pressure monitor, and a Lab-on-a-Chip that will enable anyone to carry a continuous glucose monitoring sensor, among many other things. The human body is the New Continent and we are all pilgrims. However, for the data collected to be usable, devices must be able to work together.

For instance, in the case of body motion tracking, the synchronicity of the sampling and streaming activities is essential to ensure the quality and usability of the data. In other words to determine if a body is running, jumping, falling, etc. all the sensors must pull data at precise times and intervals to track all the aspects of the body simultaneously and appropriately. If sensors on the leg capture data at one point in time and those on the arms pull data at a completely different moment, models will no longer work and the system won’t have an accurate picture of what is happening.

Problems of Body Area Network

Hence comes Andrea Vitali to the rescue. He’s an Advanced Research Manager at ST’s Internet of Things Excellence Center. As a system architect, he and his team design prototypes based on clients’ requirements and specification, collaborating with them to deliver the result they expect and more. This has led him to work on SensorTile, the development kit that packs a tremendous number of sensors in a 13.5 mm x 13.5 mm board. As a result, he’s at the forefront of the revolution happening in the field of Body Area Network.

As the name implies, the Body Area Network (BAN) refers to the intercommunication of the plethora of sensors worn, attached on or even inserted in the body. From simple accelerometers, gyroscopes, barometers, and digital microphones, to much more complex sensors, this network of wearable devices faces very difficult technological challenges. Indeed, BAN clients often come from different manufacturers and function very differently, yet they must all gather data at the same time or use accurate timestamps to enable the alignment of the information. It’s the only way for the system to know exactly what the entire body was doing at an exact moment in time. Today, Bluetooth Low Energy is the network of choice for these devices, but the standard was never designed for this.

Solutions for Your Body Area Network

To overcome this challenge, Andrea and his team have developed different solutions that he will present in his talk entitled Body Area Network and sensor synchronization. With the help of demos, executables, and documentation available to the attendees, he will show how developers can master the complexities of these devices to quickly and safely achieve project goals.

Andrea will show how one can use Bluetooth Low Energy features, like broadcasting or receiving a trigger signal, to ensure the gathering and streaming of data in unison. He will also demonstrate that it is possible to use the hardware and firmware to timestamp events to enable a realignment of the data at the post-processing level, circumventing some of the protocol’s limitations.

Hence, anyone involved in designing a system using those types of sensors will have hands-on practical examples to immediately see the result of certain practices or codes. Whether you are aiming to mass produce a device in the millions of units or simply launch your crowdfunding campaign, mastering the Body Area Network is the key to transforming a design from great to truly remarkable by ensuring fast and reliable communication with other sensors and the host system.

To Be Ready

The talk will serve as an introduction to key concepts such as synchronization and Bluetooth Low Energy connectivity. Andrea will therefore guide the attendees through the different notions and solutions. Hence, low-level knowledge of the subject matter is not necessary to enjoy this session. However, to make the most of it, we recommend being familiar with SensorTile and ST’s reference design for wearable sensors, the STEVAL-WESU1.

Source: Show me Your Body Area Network and I Will Tell You What Kind of Sensor You Are https://blog.st.com/body-area-network-sensor/

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santaeofficial · 5 months

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On Santae, weapons are more than just battle equipment. They can be worn! So, what will you choose: fight or fashion?

Consider joining our Discord!

#santae #pet site #neopets #flight rising #grundos cafe #dappervolk #lorwolf #rpg #virtual pet site #santae wearables #santae items

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tsailii · 3 days

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Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Ben Nighthorse Inlaid Sleeping Beauty Turquoise Horse Pendant Necklace **$OLD**.

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runawaywhorses · 1 year

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Marsai Martin – Wearable Art Gala Honoring Angela Bassett and Mark Bradford in Santa Monica 10/22/2022

#marsai martin #red carpet #actress

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kanatanabramovic · 3 months

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☑ 203. Merry Christmas !! by kanatan Abramovic Via Flickr: 2023 12 26 I hope that your winter holidays are filled with the essence of Christmas ♡🎄♡ Blog...~ le soleil ~ See the blog for more details ♥ ٩( ᐛ )و Thanks so much for your time !! Thank you for always having lots of Fav ♥ Thank you to all my friends who love to watch and take snaps !! ♥ love it ♥♥♥ [ - Outfit - ] ☑ Fameshed ( November round ) Hair: [monso] Misha Hair ☑ Collabor88 Hand Cup: andika{HOT CHOCOLLATE}Dispenser&Wearables SET ☑ The saturday sale Earrings: e.marie // Alara Earrings - Silvers Cardigan: GIZ SEORN: 'Kyra' Cardigan [FatPack] Pants: GIZ SEORN: 'Blair' Shorts [Blue] Ear: ^^Swallow^^ Gauged XL for lel Evo X Ears (female) Necklace: MIRA - amias ( amias - MIRA 1 v1+ amias - MIRA 4 v2 ) Rings: Vibing -- Melanie Rings -- silver [ - Makeup - ] ☑ Santa Inc. Skin: (Enfer Sombre*) Rachel skin {LeL EvoX} 　　　➥(Enfer Sombre*) LeLutka EvoX Skin - Cream - Rachel Lip: (Enfer Sombre*) LeLutka EvoX Lips - Ivory - Rachel {Nude} Eyes: {S0NG} Blinded Eyes - V2 [ - Decoration - ] ☑ Anthem Cake: andika {Happy Santa cup Cake}Dispenser & Wearable set ☑ Kawaii project ( November round ) Drink: andika{Takeaway Winter Drink}Dispenser & Wearables Set Table set: dust bunny . autumns calling . fatpack . Steak dinner: dust bunny . steak dinner . full set Presents: dust bunny . christmas presents . boxed Cand: [Merak] - Candlestick Gold Oven: [Merak] - Gas Stove Oven - White Kitchen Set: Apple Fall Plantation Kitchen Set - Sage Light: tarte. wine ladder Cage: tarte. garden birdcage (bronze) Christmas wreath: tarte. christmas pine garland Oil Heater: Soy. Old Glass Body Oil Heater Tree: 2. {anc} Lumiere / Christmas tree (25) RARE Ladder: brocante. leaning ladder / wood

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my3dartblog · 4 months

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A Xmas Dream G8F_1 Were you naughty or nice? • G9/V9: NOT COMPATIBLE! ~Unless mentioned the dress is not simulated in promos.~ Included:• 2 Wearable Sets G8F_1 (with furs - without furs)• 1 Dress G8F_1 (dforce ready)• 1 Collar Fur• R + L Cuffs' Fur• 1 Hem Fur• 1 Hat G8F_1• 1 Brim Fur• 1 Ball Fur~.~• Dress & Hat: 8 Mat Presets + Easy to See• Dress Partials: 7 Hem Mat Presets + 7 Divider Mat Presets• Dress Sleeve Transparency Mat Preset• Furs: 12 Mat Presets (Fur Mat Presets are compatible with all nirvy products with fur except Santa's Teddy)• Utilities: Shader Invisible - 3 HIDE Mat Presets• IRAY Material Presets only~.~• 2 Surface Presets + DS Default~.~• Optimized G8F/G8F.1:-Dress:CTRLBreastsImplantsCTRLBreastsNaturalFBMBrooke8_1FBMCoral8_1FBMHeavyFBMPearFigurePBMAugust8_1BreastsLargerPBMBreastsCleavagePBMBreastsHeavyPBMBreastsShape01PBMBreastsShape02PBMBreastsShape03PBMBreastsShape04PBMBreastsShape05PBMBreastsShape06PBMBreastsShape08PBMBreastsSizeOthers will fit through AutoFollow and/or with the help of the dynamic morphs.~.~• Dynamic Morphs:- Dress:BackBot InBackNeck In-OutBackNeck LowBackSkirt InBackSkirt UpBreastSideL AdjustBreastSideR AdjustBreasts Adjust1Breasts Adjust2BreastsM InBreastsUnder AdjustCuffL TightCuffR TightDecolte DownDecolte DownMoreElbowInnerL Adjust1ElbowInnerL Adjust2ElbowInnerL Adjust3ElbowInnerR Adjust1ElbowInnerR Adjust2ElbowInnerR Adjust3FrontBot InFrontBot UpFrontHem UpFrontM InFrontNeck Out-InHem IrregularHem Slight ChangeLongNeck DownRotate to BackRotate to FrontRotate toLRotate toRShoulders CloserShoulders AdjustSideFrL Up-DownSideFrR Up-DownSideL InSideR InSkirt Less FullSleeveL PuffSleeveR PuffWaist Adjust• Collar FurBack DownBack OutBackSides AdjustFront AdjustFront DownFrontMiddle AdjustFrontSideL AdjustFrontSideL Out-InFrontSideR AdjustFrontSideR Out-InFrontSides AdjustL AdjustMove Up-DownR AdjustRotate Down LRotate Down R• Fur Hem:Back OutBack UpDownEnlarge-ShrinkFront OutFront UpIrregularLeft OutRight OutShrinkSide-SideSideL DownSideR DownUp • Fur Cuffs L + R:BackDownSide-SideUp-Down- HatBall SizeBrim DownBrim TightBrimBk OutBrimCenterBk UpBrimFr OutBrimFrL OutBrimHigh-WideFrontBrimL OutBrimR OutClose Around FaceElf EarsEnlargeFront RaiseFullTail LFullTail OutFullTail RHeadBk AdjustMove UpPeak RaiseShow EyesSideL PullSideR PullSides EnlargeTail LeftTail OutTail RightTail Small ChangeTailTop EnlargeTopPeak AdjustTurn to Back• 1 Brim FurBack InFront LowSides In~.~† The complete content is shown in the promotional images above however all possible variations are not.†Please see Read me for important info and to get the best out of this product. Rendered in DAZ Studio 4.21 IRAYNo touch-ups. † Only the Dress, Hat & Furs are included.†Thank you for your interest in my products. Promo Credits:Tilly G8F by P3D @ DAZEla G3G8 & Serena G8 & GingerLee G3G8 & Rosie G3G8 by RhiannonHydra Hair by SAVHair @ DAZEnchanted Cottage by DMPortal by DMMystic Shadows by DMSecret Glance by nirvySpicy Winter by nirvySpicy Xmas by nirvySV's Natural Floor & Materials by SvevaVYK Hair Dye Shaders for Iray by vyktohriaPoses by DanieLights by Danie ©nirvyproductions 2003-2023 Compatible figures: Genesis 8 Female, Genesis 8.1 Female Software: DAZ Studio 4 With IRAY Coming soon: https://3d-stuff.net/ #daz3d #dazstudio #3drender #3dart #daz3dstudio #irayrender #3dartwork #blender #blenderrender #blenderart #noaiart #noaiwriting #noai https://3d-stuff.net/

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psychedelic-cartel-chronicles · 4 months

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Chapter 2: Greñas

I arrived in El Paso for the first time on a morning flight in February, 1981. The weather was brilliantly sunny and unseasonably warm compared to San Francisco, where it was raining and cold. Brian and his wife Melea met me at the small, provincial El Paso airport in a perfectly restored pastel pink 1963 Cadillac convertible with the top down exposing a pristine white leather interior. As I climbed in the back seat, Melea and Brian greeted me with that Texas accent that was at once subtle and disarming. “Ya’ll are from California,” Melea said excitedly, “We love California. We’re out every year to San Diego. Where ya’ll from?”

I told Melea that I lived on the southern coast in Mendocino county, part of the “Emerald Triangle” north of San Francisco where the best cannabis in the world was grown. I explained that I had concealed a small sample that illustrated the quality of the product grown there, eight ounces of a new genetic hybrid from Northern California, transported using new, odor resistant packaging techniques, in my luggage. I explained that Brian had asked me to save four ounces for our project, but that she was welcome to the rest.

“Thank you, Honey, but we’ll smoke that in a week.” “Oh my God,” Melea said, “we love California home grown here in Texas. How soon can you bring me some more?”

After we had driven a short distance from the airport, I passed a pre-rolled joint I had packed separately to her and Brian from the back seat. The samples I brought were long manicured branches with huge flowering tops that looked like small baseball bats. Glistening with trichome resin, and with a pungent skunk aroma, they looked and smelled impressive.

Melea was a striking figure, a statuesque woman with long, waist length blonde hair and light blue eyes. On any day, at any time, she would be wearing at least a quarter million dollars’ worth of traditional and contemporary New Mexican or Native American styled jewelry, necklaces and belts, with precious stones, diamonds, and sky blue turquoise. She had unique custom Rolex models not available to regular clientele, dripping with large diamonds, and, always, one of her Hermes Birkin or Kelly bags. She always mispronounced Hermes, but no one corrected her. “I’ve got to have my Her-meees,” she would say. She combined these affluent decorative accents simply with Wrangler jeans, silk blouses and exotically skinned cowboy boots. The accumulation of Melea’s wearable art created the impression of an African queen from one of the groups that emphasized long necks piled with gold rings as the standard of beauty and as a display of wealth. After taking a hit Melea announced earnestly, “Honey you and I are definitely new best friends.”

The Cadillac was equipped with a technologically advanced sound system and the Bobby Fuller Four ballad, “I Fought the Law and the Law Won,” played at top volume as we smoked and drove to Brian and Melea’s home. I would come to discover that Bobby Fuller was a son of El Paso. The song had just the right combination of country and rock and roll to frame my first trip to Texas. The Cadillac’s audiophile grade sound system was completely invisible. Apparently, Melea had hidden an array of extremely small speakers in every vent and possible hiding place while still preserving the original white leather interior. Part of the trunk was devoted to a couple of large hidden amplifiers that drove the speakers to create a dazzling ambience effect like a concert hall.

As I walked in the front door, I saw that Brian and Melea’s traditional adobe styled home was built around an expansive inner courtyard with a garden of Hibiscus, Bougainvillea, Orchids, Bird of Paradise and palms. Melea had designed the home’s interior to reflect her interest in the Santa Fe architectural style. The rooms had thick adobe walls with the spines of Saguaro cacti along the plastered white ceiling.

Melea excused herself and retired to let us discuss business privately. After we sat down in the living room, Brian explained that we would be going to Ciudad Juarez that afternoon to present our proposal to bring genetics and cultivation techniques that would improve the yields and quality of the fields of the major Mexican cartel and smuggling organizations on the border. We would be meeting with “El Greñas”, Gilberto Ontiveros Lucero. Later, Gilberto told us that the nickname "El Greñas", or “Mophead” was given to him by "an Indian who worked for me cultivating marijuana" in reference to his distinctive Rasta inspired hairstyle. During his impoverished childhood in Mexico, he sold popsicles and worked as a carpenter, but he managed to finish high school and went to the United States, where he lived for several years and studied business administration while selling cars. Brian described Greñas as a young up and coming cartel leader who presently controlled all of the smuggling traffic in the El Paso/Juarez corridor.

Conventional historical accounts of the early years of Juarez cartel organizations identified Amado Carrillo Fuentes, as the leader and founder of the Juarez Cartel, but he had actually acquired his leadership position from Pablo Acosta Villarreal, the “Fox of Ojinaga”, when he was killed during a raid by Mexican Federal Police in the small village of Santa Elena, Chihuahua on the Rio Grande. Villareal was widely credited with instructing all of those in leadership roles in the cartels with the arcane knowledge of how to properly conduct a drug smuggling enterprise. Villareal’s exploits were celebrated in the famous narcocorrido, a traditional ballad celebrating drug traffickers, by Los Tigres Del Norte, called “El Zorro de Ojinaga”.

Although Villareal began as a key founding member of Juarez smuggling, he fell out of favor with Miguel Félix Gallardo, who had formed the Guadalajara cartel, the first major attempt at organizing all of the Mexican regional traffickers into a syndicate. After Villareal, it was Amado Carrillo Fuentes “El Señor de los Cielos”, the “Lord of the Skies”, who acquired his nickname from the fleet of thirty Boeing 727 and Falcon jets he used to smuggle drugs, who took full control of the Juarez organization. By removing passenger seats and baggage compartments in the fuselage, Fuentes was able to outstrip his competitors who only used small private planes that carried five hundred or at most one thousand pounds. Fuentes used his modified planes to transport up to nine tons at a time. Brian explained, however, that it wasn’t only Fuentes but actually a number of other drug traffickers who were also instrumental founders of the Juarez cannabis cartel and plaza in the 80s.

According to Brian, the key, but more covert organizers of the Juarez Cartel were Rafael Aguilar Guallardo, Rafael Muñoz Talavera, and Gilberto Ontiveros, the latter who would later be considered the first cartel supervisor of the Ciudad Juarez plaza. This largely ceremonial position was accorded to the individual who would deal directly with the brokerages who purchased cannabis at the main transit points in Texas. It was occupied by an individual who was expendable if the US government leaned on Mexico. The individual occupying this position provided a sacrificial shield that allowed both Mexican government officials and highly connected families who actually managed the drug trade to remain behind the curtain.

As his wealth and influence increased, "El Greñas" began to collect mansions, ranches, and luxury cars and purchased hotels like the Rodeway Inn in Casa Grandes and had begun construction on the Palacio del César luxury hotel in Juarez. He was always surrounded by bodyguards while traveling in his bullet proof Rolls Royce limousine. Sometime later, during the festival celebration of Saint Buenaventura, when horse racing and cock fights were held, Greñas, who had a passion for horse racing, bet a million dollars on his horse to win a short distance quarter horse race. When the municipal authorities determined that drug traffickers were participating, they tried to stop it, but armed cartel guards allowed the race to proceed. Greñas entered his prize sorrel red horse but shrugged it off when he lost.

Greñas had the backing of the capitalizing principals of the developing Sinaloa cartel, like Rafael Muñoz Talavera and his brother who were just beginning to construct the Colombian cocaine trade. Greñas handled cannabis logistics for Rafael Caro Quintero, known as the originator of industrially produced sin semilla (seedless) cannabis of consistent quality in Michoacan. When Quintero’s cannabis operation at Rancho Bufalo (the Buffalo Ranch) in Chihuahua was finally destroyed by the Mexican army, it contained 540 hectares or approximately 1200 acres of high grade cannabis. A large proportion of it was cannabis from my Indica genetics sourced from Northern California. The ranch was later discovered by Enrique Camerena, the DEA agent who was subsequently killed by Quintero in retribution. The army netted approximately six thousand tons, worth billions, in the raid.

Greñas also worked with Miguel Angel Felix Gallardo, “El Padrino”, the “Godfather,” and former official of the Mexican Federal Security Directorate (DFS), who organized the small trafficking organizations into the collective smuggling powerhouse that became the Guadalajara cartel. Gallardo was credited with creating a seamless drug highway from Colombia to Guadalajara to Juarez using a “plaza” system in which each municipal organization would hand off responsibility for a drug shipment to the next geographically in line. He forged a relationship with Juan Matta-Ballesteros, who introduced him to Santiago Ocampo, his connection to the Cali cocaine cartel in Colombia. As time went on, I was to form a close association to all of these progenitors, inviting them to dinner at my home in Tiburon and parties at the best restaurants in San Francisco and Beverly Hills.

Greñas was outspoken about the cannabis that was cultivated under the direction of Quintero in Michoacan, and competed to represent those sources as producing the highest quality to his Texas brokers. Referring to me, Brian had told Greñas that he had a university professor who was an expert in both the genetics and cultivation of cannabis, whose guidance and genetic products Greñas could use for his own or for Quintero’s fields in Chihuahua. Greñas wasted no time bragging about the new technology and expertise he was to acquire, saw an opportunity to use these new agricultural advances to distinguish his cannabis production, and to show Quintero and Gallardo that he could produce a better crop than they could.

After we finished talking, I got the samples from my luggage and met in the garage where I got into the back seat of Brian’s Mercedes. I put the two baseball bat sized branches, still in their plastic packaging to prevent the odor from permeating the entire car, into a paper sack. I had just arrived in El Paso for the first time and we were already going to Mexico. I had some apprehension, but Brian had assured me that everything was safe and we enjoyed the cartel’s protection.

El Paso and Juarez are separated by a bridge over the Rio Grande. In the middle of the bridge is a sign marking the border between the two countries. On the day we approached crossing to the Mexican side, there was a traffic jam of cars on both sides of the border. The line of cars entering Mexico was moving much more quickly, hardly stopping at the customs booth. I began to get nervous with the paper bag of cannabis baseball bats sitting on my lap. As we approached, Brian turned around to the back seat. “I hope ya’ll have that hidden. They might inspect us.” It was later that I learned Brian was always joking. We were the next car in line and my palms were sweating. Then, miraculously, we sailed through without the Mexican customs agent even taking a look at us. Brian turned around and smiled. “You’re as safe as you would be in a pot field in Mendocino,“ he said laughing.

We drove for about an hour into the suburbs of Juarez and finally entered a private street with only three houses on it. We pulled up to the house in the center of the block. It appeared unusual because it had a two story water tower on the lawn in front of it. I began to notice that everyone milling around seemed to have a specific job. The water tower was being guarded by large heavy set individuals in suits and ties wearing sunglasses and carrying AK-47s. We were approached by one of the guards who recognized Brian and used his radio to announce our arrival. We were escorted into the bottom story of the water tower where I saw more armed guards and a group of individuals sitting in a circle in chairs around the periphery. One of the guards protected the stairway while another silently indicated an empty chair for me. Everyone was waiting their turn to see Greñas and he was keeping them waiting at his pleasure. There was a stream of workers entering, steadily carrying U-Haul boxes up the stairs to Greñas’ office. Brian leaned over and whispered, “ Those boxes are filled with money.” We were at Greñas’ counting house.

I sat down next to a small older man with a dark complexion, dressed in the traditional style of Mayan campesinos, in a starched white shirt, white drawstring muslin pants, and wearing a flat brimmed hat with beaded artifacts dangling from the brim. It was an iconic style with which I was familiar from the ethnographic fieldwork I had done among the Mazatec and the Zapotec in central Mexico. It was a common belief that the ritual beads dangling on the brim of his hat would protect him from supernatural harm or avaricious competitors. I silently wondered why he thought he needed that protection.

I began a conversation in Spanish, but I could tell that his native language was Mayan, judging by his accent. He introduced himself as Don Pedro, master agronomist. I introduced myself and told him I was an anthropologist, a professor, and in the vernacular, a maestro or teacher. He nodded and told me that he was also a maestro. He said that he was in charge of all of Greñas’ cultivation projects, that he was the farmer of farmers, as he put it laughing, the Minister of Agriculture for the Ciudad Juarez cartel. He had been trained personally for his job by Rafael Caro Quintero and that he managed all of the seeds and genetics Greñas used as well.

I looked at Don Pedro and thought to myself, I guess now is the time. I told him that I too had an interest in agronomy and that I studied the genetics of “marijuana”. In fact, I told him, I have something with me that you, Don Pedro, would be interested to see. I had used a razor blade to open the sealed odor barrier bags in the car and had been holding them shut to prevent the overpowering terpenes from filling the room. Now I opened them and with one swift move, and pulled the two baseball bats of cannabis out of the paper bag. The skunk smell was overwhelming. Everyone turned around to look. Don Pedro’s eyes got big and he stood up excited.

“Please, pardon me,” he said as he stood up. “If you don’t mind, I’ll just be a moment.” He turned back. “May I?” he asked, indicating the large cannabis stalks I was holding. I offered them to him. He turned abruptly and walked to the stairs. The men with sunglasses and AK-47s respectfully parted and Don Pedro hurried past them. There was a brief commotion, a lot of walking overhead, and then Don Pedro returned, gesturing for us to come upstairs. The guards with sunglasses and AKs were brushed aside and we were taken upstairs to the corporate offices of El Greñas.

Greñas was up and animated behind his huge antique wooden desk. He was wearing a starched white shirt, tooled cactus belt and turquoise belt buckle, exotic boots and jeans in the elegant “Sinoloa” style adopted by narcotrafficantes(drug traffickers). He was pacing, shuffling through bags, talking in staccato machine gun bursts. “Just a minute, you’ll see,” he said, “where are my pinchi (derisively small, inadequate) buds?” One of the guards tried to help him. “Where the fuck are my fucking buds,” he yelled. He had a number of black garbage bags strewn around his desk and he was madly searching through them all for something. He opened one, reached in and stopped. He seemed momentarily satisfied. He pulled out a small cannabis bud. “See,” he said, “See. My buds are every bit as good as your pinchi buds. See, look.” He held up his small thumb size bud and compared it to the baseball bats. “See, every bit as good as your pinchi buds.” As he held the flowers up for comparison, he hesitated, but we remained silent. He seemed to momentarily come out of his drug induced fog and come to his senses. There was a fleeting moment when I believe he suddenly became aware of the sexual connotation that his flower was small and the machismo inuendo that it was inadequate compared to the one I brought.

In that moment, his mania ebbed enough for him to get some clarity. “Ok, let’s talk,” he said sitting down in his office chair and swiveling around to face us. After he sat down, he took a few more verbal swipes at the pinchi buds, “Fucking pinchi buds. Big fucking deal, my buds are just as good.”

As Greñas talked he began an elaborate ritual. He took a single Marlboro filter cigarette out of a new pack, and rolled it so the contents fell out to produce a small pile of tobacco. He took a baggie out of his shirt pocket that appeared to contain cocaine base, its smokable form. He continued talking, making disparaging comments, while he combined the tobacco and the base powder. Then he carefully loaded the mixture back into the flaccid filter cigarette, tamped it in using a toothpick, and then sat back in his chair with his feet up and lit his newly constructed cigarette. Greñas would spend the rest of the meeting lighting cigarette after cigarette. How does he stay even moderately coherent I wondered?

Surprisingly calmer after his smoke, Greñas seemed to relent at this point. “Ok, my gringo friends, I want you to supervise my cultivation. I will offer you five percent of the entire load which you must split with your Texas partners. I will deliver the marijuana to your buyers in New York and California. I will handle all the transportation, all the cost of crossing the border. Just bring me those fucking pinchi semillas.”

Greñas stopped talking and looked at me intently for several seconds. “If you fuck me on this, I will cut your nuts off and feed them to you. I will control all of the seeds and cultivation knowledge that you bring. We will begin by using your knowledge to improve my fields in Chihuahua as proof. Only then will we make this available to Rafael (Quintero). Brian has already explained to me how your plants are completely finished in two months. This will give us a tremendous advantage.”

“I want to show you where you will be growing,” Greñas said and he went to his file cabinet to pull out some Polaroid pictures. “Here,” he said and laid them out on the table. In the photographs, one could see vast fields of bright green cannabis, growing in a white, sandy soil, extending far beyond the limits of the foreground image. The most unusual aspect of the photographs was the appearance of Mexican army vehicles and soldiers in full dress uniforms in every picture. There were Mexican army soldiers guarding Greñas’ fields of cannabis, Mexican army half-tracks driving up dirt roads circumnavigating the fields, and Mexican army helicopters parked next to the growing weed. He noticed my surprise. “Yes,” he said, “we have the army under our control. We have the full protection of the Mexican government, the PRI. They will take down our competitors fields, but mine are always protected.”

Greñas discussed the current transactions he had underway with Brian, but there was certainly an increased sense of respect. Greñas knew that he was the one who had the fucking pinchi marijuana.

On the way out I chatted briefly with Don Pedro. “I assume we will be working together, my friend,” he said and bowed in my direction. “I look forward to that day with great pleasure.” I said and thanked him for his help. We were escorted from the compound by the guards who saw us all the way to the car.

I left the meeting feeling extremely satisfied. I would have all the money I would ever need and would have the opportunity to pick phenotypes from one of the largest cultivation projects in Mexico. Greñas would deliver to my buyers. He would handle crossing the border. I looked at Brian. We both knew we had it made. What could possibly go wrong?

#drug trafficking #drugmanufacturing #cartels #mexico #narcos

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